Wireless vs Wired when close to the router

[ventuss]

I got the new Airport Time Capsule. It is in my room, close to the 2013 iMac, Playstation 4 and Apple TV. Close enough to use ethernet cables. All of the listed devices have Wireless-N (iMac is AC).

Is there performance loss for using Wireless in a situation where your devices sits in the same desk as the Airport? I don't want to use cables if not necessary.

 

[blueroom]

Always wired when possible.

 

[maflynn]

I go wired as it provides the best network performance. Perhaps as the Wifi technology improves it will be less of an issue but I don't think we're there yet and you get better throughput on the gigabit ethernet.

 

[S.B.G]

I always go with wired when I can achieve it. The only wireless things in my home are the iPhone, iPad, MBP and Nintendo Wii.

I could wire the MBP, but I move it around a lot so I choose to go with WiFi on that.

 

[Alrescha]

Is there performance loss for using Wireless in a situation where your devices sits in the same desk as the Airport? I don't want to use cables if not necessary.

Yes. Your 801.11n runs at a maximum of about 300 Mbps. Your Ethernet can go as fast as 1,000 Mbps (in two directions, at the same time). The standard rule of thumb is you use Ethernet cable for fixed devices, and Wi-Fi for mobile devices. In other words, if you can wire it, wire it.

A.

 

[ventuss]

I updated my cat5 cables to cat6, and my numbers are extremely low now. Do you happen to know if Airport have any problems dealing with cat6 ethernet cables?

 

[blueroom]

What numbers are low? How are you benchmarking this?

Cat-5e or 6 is fine. Might be your ISP's modem or its configuration.

 

[ventuss]

What numbers are low? How are you benchmarking this?

Cat-5e or 6 is fine. Might be your ISP's modem or its configuration.

There is a internet connection test on Playstation when chaning connection settings. It is just a reference I guess.

 

[blueroom]

How's your home network setup?
e.g.
PS3 wired to LAN on TC, WAN wired directly to cable modem.

 

[ventuss]

How's your home network setup?
e.g.
PS3 wired to LAN on TC, WAN wired directly to cable modem.

Modem to WAN, PS4, PS3 and Apple TV to LAN.

iMac sits in the end of the room, so it is connected to AC (700mb/s when Option click the wireless icon on OS X).

 

[ventuss]

Do you know why my iPad Air keeps connecting to the Wireless G while on automatic settings? Even though if I create a 5GHz wifi it gets on it just fine?

 

[blueroom]

Where do you have a G WiFi network? The TC is 2.4GHz N and 5GHz AC

Is your cable modem a modem or a WiFi router?

You can split the WiFi networks, the 5GHz has a shorter range though.